The Book of Lost HoursThe Book of Lost Hours
What it's about
The 'time space' is a vast library of books holding the memories of everyone who has died, which only a few people can enter. Two remarkable women move between postwar and Cold War America and this magical library, where the record of history itself is at stake.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's an inventive, romantic fantasy.
You'll love it if you liked
Cloud Cuckoo Land
The Secret Book of Flora Lea
The Paris LibraryGood to know
It's a debut.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller15 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic, Moving
If you like this, read next
Babel
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
The First to Die at the End
Iron Widow
OutlanderExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Book of Lost Hours worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 59.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Book of Lost Hours about?
The 'time space' is a vast library of books holding the memories of everyone who has died, which only a few people can enter. Two remarkable women move between postwar and Cold War America and this magical library, where the record of history itself is at stake.
How long does it take to read The Book of Lost Hours?
About 10 hours (387 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Book of Lost Hours?
If you liked it, try Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry or The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles.